Sergeant, dismissed corporal held for extortion

THE X-Squad, a special team of the Lagos State Police Command, yesterday arrested a dismissed corporal and a spy sergeant who have been under watch.

Bolatunde Alabi, the dismissed corporal, and Spy Sergeant Patrick Udoh were said to have been involved in extortion and illegally escorting car snatchers and stolen goods.

They were paraded in Lagos Police Commissioner Umaru Manko’s office by the Officer-in-charge of X-Squad, Chief Superintendent (CSP) Kola Okunlola.

Okunlola said Alabi and Udoh were arrested inside the same vehicle.

According to him, Alabi boarded a commercial bus going to Sango-Ota in Ogun State from Oshodi. His men arrested Alabi when the bus parked at Ile-Epo Bus Stop to pick a passenger.

Udoh, who was in the bus, stirred suspicion because he was improperly dressed. He was arrested for questioning and was discovered to be on the wanted list. He would parade himself as a general duty officer to extort money from people.

Alabi, 33, said he served for three years in MOPOL 16 Oluwuda Post at Abeokuta before he was dismissed for stealing the armourer’s mobile telephone handset. He said he never suspected that the X-squad operatives were monitoring him.

“One of my gang members even told me that the Commissioner of Police had ordered the squad to track down policemen reportedly parading themselves on Oshodi-Abeokuta Expressway, I doubted it, thinking that it was only the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that are after dangerous criminals,” he said.

“We have been operating successfully until yesterday when an operative of the X-Squad ordered me to come down from a commercial bus that wanted to park and pick a passenger at Ile-Epo market area. I was later taken to Police Headquarters, Ikeja and that is why I am here.

“I am a dismissed police corporal and I used my uniform to help myself. I escort smuggled goods, help snatchers to pass difficult areas but I have never used arms. I gave them my arms and uniform when I was dismissed. I bought these uniforms later.”

Udoh said he enlisted in the police in September 1991 at the Police Training School (PTS) Calabar, Cross River State, at 28.

“I was later posted to Railway Lagos where I was promoted corporal for my gallantry. I have served for 22 years. My salary is N60,000. I am 40 years old; I am from Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom,” he said, adding that his last operation fetched him “N500 recharge card”.

“Sorry sir, I want to confess; I am not a conventional police officer. I am not a general-duty police officer. I am a spy. I was merely looking for money to feed my family in Lagos. I will not do it again. Please tell O/C X-Squad to release me. I promise not to use police uniform to commit crimes.”